


The Southsiders

by tonischeryl (chloebeale)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: 90s AU, F/F, Fifteen year old Cheryl Blossom, Fifteen year old Toni Topaz, Gang Violence, Older brother Sweet Pea, Platonic Toni/Jughead, Swearing, Toni's crush on Janet Jackson, choni, the outsiders au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 19:45:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16604336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chloebeale/pseuds/tonischeryl
Summary: It is 1990 in Riverdale, New York, and tensions are high between the North and Southsiders. Toni Topaz has a forbidden crush, on none other than Northside darling Cheryl Blossom.





	The Southsiders

_Riverdale, April 7, 1990_

When Antoinette Topaz stepped out from the darkness of the movie house only to become enveloped in an even deeper darkness, she had only two things on her mind: Johnny Depp and a ride home. It was a Saturday night in April and Riverdale’s most popular youth hangout spot was crawling with teenagers, most of whom had piled into their friends’ cars to check out the newly released film _Cry-Baby_.

Antoinette, who preferred to be called Toni and would take a switchblade to the neck of anyone who insisted on referring to her otherwise, wasn’t like other girls. That was a thing that girls liked to say, “I’m not like most girls,” a statement usually paired with what they hoped was an alluring giggle—but in Toni’s case, it happened to be one hundred percent true. Moviegoers of the female persuasion, they only had eyes for Johnny Depp, and when they looked at his love interest, they wanted to be her more badly than any of them could really articulate. But as she’d sat in the back row with dark eyes trained on the silver screen, she gazed at Amy Locane and wished with everything inside of her that she could be _with_ a woman like that one day. Not that she’d say no to a dreamboat like Johnny Depp either, but that was beside the point.

On this particular evening, after the viewing of the film, Toni was wishing she looked like Johnny Depp. It wasn’t that her looks were so bad, but she didn’t exactly have girls (or guys) swooning over her. Toni’s hair was brown with streaks of pink, long and unmistakably feminine. There was also the obvious, skin several shades darker than found acceptable by most, a fact nobody ever seemed to let her forget about. It was the 90s, and though people liked to pretend racism was “over,” truth was it was still very alive.

She never went around without her leather jacket, the back emblazoned with the green serpent indicative of the gang to which she belonged—the South Side Serpents. Toni was the only one of ‘em who happened to have breasts, another fact nobody ever seemed to let her forget. She’d started out as an honorary member on account of her grandfather being the one to start the whole damn gang but since then she’d more than proven herself. She was a serpent through & through, and she made no bones about it.

 She had a long walk back to Sunnyside Trailer park and no company to boot. That wasn’t too unusual seeing as how she considered herself a loner most days and she preferred to watch movies undisturbed. It felt weird whenever she went to the Bijou with the Serpents in tow, the uncomfortable feeling of being watched reminding her of when somebody tried to read a book over her shoulder. She was different that way, too. Her second oldest “brother,” Jughead, who was sixteen and not biologically her brother, but might as well be—he never read a book in his life, even the ones assigned in school. And her oldest brother Sweet Pea, also part of her found family, he worked too much to have time to go see a flick or crack a book. None of the Serpents dug movies and books the way Toni did. At this point, Toni thought she was the only person in the world that did. It was a lonely feeling, but she was used to lonely. Besides, if anyone had come with her and realized she wanted to see a cheesy musical, they would have teased her to no end. She was supposed to be tough, and girls who enjoyed musicals weren’t exactly intimidating.

Jughead tried to understand, which was more than Sweet Pea ever did. Then again, Jughead wasn’t like anybody else she’d ever met. Even when he didn’t understand something, he tried real hard at it. He didn’t holler at her like Sweet Pea did most days or treat her like she was six instead of fifteen. Toni loved him more than she’d ever loved anybody, though most people tried to mistake it for something else, she was quick to correct them in that her love for Jughead was strictly brotherly. Anything else to her would’ve been downright incestuous. It just wasn’t like that—they’d grown up together, and he and Sweet Pea were the closest thing she had to brothers. Jughead was only a year older and he wasn’t overprotective or overbearing. He just let her live, and that freedom was something she really needed. Jughead rarely looked at her without a goofy grin on his face and that, in turn, made her smile like some kind of moron.

Things with Sweet Pea were the opposite—around him she felt stifled, plus he was always so serious all the time. Not that she could blame him, he’d had to grow up fast. He’d been through a lot at nineteen years old, dropping out of school and entering the workforce to help support Toni after her parents died. Her grandfather was still around, but he was too old to work anymore, and without Sweet Pea, she didn’t know what she’d do. Maybe he irritated her sometimes, but she knew that he took care of her more than anybody else ever had. She didn’t think Jughead would ever grow up at all. He didn’t take anything too serious. Toni didn’t know which way was the best or which way she’d end up, but she’d find that out one day.

The moon hung low in the sky as the bottoms of Toni’s shoes slapped against the pavement, her mind occupied by the movie she’d just watched and for a brief second, wishing she’d brought somebody out with her. Serpents couldn’t walk alone too much on the North Side, seeing as how some people didn’t think Southsiders belonged there. There was always the danger of being jumped, spit on or yelled at, none of which made her feel too hot. It hadn’t happened to her yet but some of the other Serpents have had the shit beat out of them by the Northsiders, who thought they were better because their families had more money and better clothes.

The South Side was poorer and wilder, too. Especially the Serpents. Not like the Northsiders, who jumped Serpents, threw house parties and got high without ever getting into trouble for it. It was expected of them, a rite of passage all their high-class parents laughed about. Serpents were bikers; they broke the law for a purpose, by stealing mostly, sometimes because they were too poor to pay for a loaf of bread or they would nick a gallon of gas, just so they could make it home. They had gang fights once in a while with the Ghoulies, the other South Side gang, but Toni didn’t do things like that. The worst she’d ever done was shoplift a VHS tape of Prince’s _Purple Rain_. (So worth it.) Sweet Pea would kill her if she got arrested or something. Since her parents died in an auto accident, he’d pretty much been her guardian and she had to stay outta trouble or she could end up in foster care or something.

Most Serpents broke the law though, just like they wore their hair long and wore torn jeans and their leather jackets. The Northsiders broke the law too, but they never got caught, or if they did, just got let go. Those guys were always looking clean cut with their short hair and tailored clothes, the complete opposite of the image the Serpents presented. She supposed that neither of them was better than the other, their circumstances were just different. Northsiders and Southsiders had always hated each other though, ever since before the founding of the Southside Serpents. It was the natural order of the universe. It was just the way things were. 

Toni definitely could’ve waited to go to the movies on Sunday when Sweet Pea or Jughead were off work, or even gotten one of the gang to come along. They probably would’ve if she’d asked. If she’d thought about it, she could’ve called Sweet Pea to come get her on his way home or Joaquin would’ve come to get her in his car if she’d asked him. But she hadn’t asked anybody anything. She hated to bug anybody and she stubborn that way. Sometimes, she just didn’t use her head. Besides, she liked walking. When she was old enough to drive, she wanted to get a motorcycle like her buddies, but until then she was perfectly satisfied with her own two feet and the worn-out Doc Martens she’d bought at the thrift shop.

She started not to feel so great when she spotted the red McLaren F1 that seemed to be following her. Maybe she was imagining things and it wasn’t following her, but it was driving real slow. She was on the outskirts of town, having crossed over from the North Side to the South, her home territory. Toni was nearly home, only a couple of blocks away from the trailer park. She didn’t know why such a nice car would be all the way on the South Side. Normally, the Northsiders didn’t come to this side of town, but there was no way a vehicle that nice belonged to somebody from this side of the tracks. She’d never even seen a car that nice. It looked like something out of a movie. She started walking faster, her heart beating fast as she remembered seeing Fangs the night that five Northsiders had gotten ahold of him. It wasn’t an image she’d ever forget. He’d been scared shitless after that and she couldn’t say she blamed him from the state he was in.

Toni knew there was no use in trying to walk more quickly, because the McLaren could just speed up, but she tried anyway. When the car came to a stop beside her and four Northsiders got out, she got pretty scared. They were all guys, taller than she was at 5’3” and as she stood there with her fingers hooking in the belt loops on her acid wash jeans, she remembered Fangs’ face that night—his face black and blue, covered in cuts, and she remembered how he’d cried when Sweet Pea had found him, half-conscious in the corner lot. Fangs had it rough at home—it took a lot to make him cry.

 She was sweating like crazy, even though there was a chill in the air. She couldn’t feel her fingers, the socks she’d cut into to make gloves were pretty thin. They stuck to her skin because her palms were clammy, beads of sweat welling up on her forehead like tears. Toni thought she might cry. She wasn’t stupid enough to think a group of guys wouldn’t beat on a girl. She wasn’t just any girl, she was a Serpent, and her skin color didn’t help matters. She glanced around at the ground, looking for a soda bottle or anything she could use as a weapon and thinking about how Jughead had told her she wasn’t old enough for her own switchblade. She sure could’ve used one right about now. There was nothing to protect her and as the Northsiders surrounded her, a chill went down her spine. The look on their faces was downright predatory. Toni realized in that moment she didn’t know what they were about to do to her.

“Hey, Serpent,” one of them said, pretending for a moment to be friendly, when she knew he was anything but. “Nice jacket. Would you still wear it if we cut that ugly snake off it?”

Toni’s eye line came up to his chest, and she noticed the navy-blue stripes on his shirt. She recognized him as somebody who went to Riverdale High, but she couldn’t put a name to the face. She didn’t answer the question and a couple of the guys snickered, circling around her like a pack of lions. She kept her mouth shut, figuring whatever happened, she’d just take it. If Fangs had survived a beating, she could too.

“What about a haircut? It’s a little long, and I don’t think that pink suits you, dyke. You _are_ trying to look like a man, aren’t you?” Another voice teased, causing a lump to form in her throat as he pulled out a knife and pointed it toward her. The blade glinted from the streetlight overhead. She was pretty scared, and they had to know it. Toni felt like she was shaking, and it wasn’t just from the cold. They could kill her and from the looks of things, they wanted to.

“N-no,” she finally spoke, her voice coming out scratchy as she stepped back, trying to back away from the gang encircling her. She needed to get away and fast. She ran right smack into one of the guys and it only took a few seconds for the group of them to pin her down, the largest of them sitting on her chest. Her head was forced to the side and she skinned her jaw on the pavement, letting out a low groan. The blade was pressed against her neck and she could feel the point of it, maybe a centimeter away from nicking her skin. This was it. She was going to die tonight, she was sure of it.

That was when she tried to fight back, pushing against them and cursing up a storm, wriggling underneath muscular arms forcing her back down the moment she’d made any progress. The taste of copper filled her mouth. She hadn’t even realized she’d bitten her tongue. Swallowing the blood, she screamed as loud as she could manage, figuring someone would overhear. It wasn’t too late, and this was the South Side, somebody had to be up. One of the guys clamped his hand over her mouth and without thinking, she bit down hard like the serpent she was named for. Her mouth was flooded with the taste of copper once more, but knowing it was her assailant’s blood instead of her own was strangely satisfying. Before she realized what was happening, her face was aching, a Northsider having socked her in the nose. That was gonna swell. Not that it would matter if she ended up dead.

Her eyelids fluttered, and stars dropped in and out of her field of vision, the sound of scuffling feet and angry voices bringing her back just in time to recognize that someone was standing over her. Toni gasped as she felt blood dripping down her face and the lingering taste of it in her mouth. She could still feel the steel pressed to her neck, even though the knife had already clattered on the ground beside of her when the Northsider had dropped it in his haste to get away.

It wasn’t until she was hoisted up over his shoulder that she recognized who had found her. It was Sweet Pea and Jughead wasn’t far behind, panting and gripping his switchblade defensively. “YOU BETTER RUN!” He yelled after the squealing McLaren, his threat falling on deaf ears.

As her burly big brother hauled her into the trailer and placed her down on the couch, Toni finally started to catch her breath. “Are you alright, Tones?” The concern was evident in his voice and despite her current state, she smiled, which she quickly realized was a mistake. She hissed as her face throbbed. It felt like her whole face was swollen.

“Oh, yeah. Never better.”

“What the hell were you thinking, walking home alone?” She was well enough to joke, so he went from concerned to downright pissed. That was fun.

Jughead pushed forward to clean the blood off her face with a ratty washrag, looking her over appraisingly. “Well, your nose isn’t broken. I’d know.” He’d had his broken a few years back. It had been Toni who’d done the honors, actually. “He’s right, though. That wasn’t your smartest idea.”

Sighing, Toni grabbed the bag of ice Jughead had placed at the edge of the couch and held it to her face. “I got that much. If you guys hadn’t found me, I would’ve been—”

“Dead as a doornail.” Sweet Pea finished without an ounce of humor. “You earned this.” He pushed the blade into her hand, the very same blade that that Northsider had held against her throat. She didn’t like the look of it and planned to pawn it off for something else. Maybe a new cassette to listen to with the Walkman that Jughead had stolen for her birthday present last year.

Both Sweet Pea and Jughead were looking at her like they’d seen a ghost and she’d bet she looked like one, her face pale from the blood loss and fear that had drained the remaining color from her cheeks. They both cared about her, they just showed it in different ways. Sweet Pea was gruff and tough like her father had been, but his dark eyes were full of love. He wasn’t big on saying ‘I love you’ or anything like that—he showed it though. Not that he’d ever admit to it. And that was okay with her, usually.

Unlike him, Jughead was a softie, wearing his heart on his (leather) sleeve. His father  F.P. had been the leader of the serpents before he got thrown in the clink, so he got away with not being so tough. He’d earned his place just like anybody else, but he didn’t make a habit of roughhousing or ripping people off. He cared a great deal about everybody. Toni thought of him as the heart of the gang, and she loved him for it.

She was lucky. She might have been a poor orphan but as far as she was concerned, she was rich in love. Most everybody in town was white, and Toni was obviously not. Her grandfather, who helped found the Serpents, was part of the Uktena, a Native American tribe, and her mother was black. The Serpents weren’t racist considering Thomas Topaz had founded and led them for decades, but the rest of the town wasn’t as accepting. Add that to the fact that she was a female Serpent (altogether unheard of) and bisexual (something she hadn’t admitted aloud but was apparently obvious to people like that Northsider tonight), and she was pretty much a guaranteed target. It didn’t help she was so tiny.

Toni was tough though, they had to hand it to her—she’d held her own tonight. Nobody could’ve fought all of those guys off alone, not even Sweet Pea. The fact that she managed not to get killed was a victory even if the state of her face didn’t make her feel like it. Thankfully, she had the guys looking out for her and they cared about her because she was family. That was something those kids from the North Side didn’t have and she almost felt sorry for them for missing out on it. Well, she would’ve felt sorry for them if they weren’t such assholes.

“You know you’re a dumbass, right?” Sweet Pea pointed out, reaching forward and roughing up Toni’s hair.

“It runs in the family.” Jughead added with a smirk.

Just then, the door of the trailer opened up and some of the other guys came pouring in. It was getting pretty loud by this point and Toni’s gramps yelled from his bedroom for them to pipe down. They tended to get pretty raucous. Tucking her under his arm, Sweet Pea guided Toni and the rest of the Serpents outside of the trailer. He may have been old, but Thomas Topaz could still kick their asses and they took that shit real serious.

The Serpents had apparently chased the Northsiders out of town, chucking rocks at that beautiful McLaren. It came as no surprise, as they always protected one of their own, but it sure made Toni feel good. All of the guys were tough as nails and they could’ve seen Toni as just a girl or worse, a conquest, but since she was pretty much Jughead and Sweet Pea’s little sister, they accepted her. For better or worse.

Archie Andrews was stood there right next to Juggy, his head held high. He was sixteen, just like Jug, but he had fiery red hair that he never made much of an effort to tame. He was smart as hell and was a Northsider once, back before his dad’s construction company went under. It was crazy how quick they dropped him after he moved to the South Side.

Back when they were little, Arch and Jug were inseparable, and it had been difficult for them once the cliques set in. They couldn’t be seen with each other back then and though they’d play it off, it was clear that time was hard for them. Now they were back together and better than ever. Archie was a musician—he was rarely without his old beat up guitar in tow. He would sing sometimes for Serpents, who would take the piss out of him for it. He was decent, Toni thought, but not as good as Michael Jackson. He couldn’t even dance. He was miserable at it, but she couldn’t fault him for that seeing as how he was a white guy. She liked him well enough since he was around a lot due to being Jughead’s best bud, but he didn’t like her so much. She figured it was because she was a year younger and Jug always invited her to hang out with them. He probably saw her as just a kid, or maybe he didn’t want a girl around. He was never mean to her or nothing, but he definitely didn’t treat her as good as the rest of the guys.

Joaquin DeSantos was the oldest of the gang and the de facto leader since Jughead’s old man F.P. Jones was locked up. He was tall and gaunt with coal black hair, slicked back with an effortlessness that Toni had always admired. He had been in and out of juvie for years and nobody crossed him. Since he’d turned eighteen, he’d done well to avoid getting caught, but that didn’t mean he didn’t break the law no more. He was just smarter about it.

People said he was “artistic,” which was just a euphemism for being different, and though the Serpents knew of his preference for guys, they just didn’t care. That’s what Toni liked about the gang—things like race and sexuality didn’t matter to ‘em like to the rest of the world. They didn’t talk about it either. Just left it as it was. She would’ve liked to have a talk with Joaquin, since he was the only other person she knew who was different in the same way as her. But she didn’t want to poke the bear either and she knew to leave well enough alone.

All the guys were protective in their own way, brought together by circumstances none of them could control. Most of them were born into the gang and most of them would die by the gang. It was just the way things were on the South Side. That meant there was a lot of fighting between the North and South, as those circumstances were a real point of contention. The Southsiders probably wouldn’t have fought so much if the Northsiders didn’t instigate with their rich, smug faces. The Serpents all had a reputation but Sweet Pea and Joaquin most of all. They were constantly getting into trouble back a few years ago and though they hadn’t straightened up any they did get smarter. Toni heard that Sweet Pea had quite the file on him at the police station. He’d been arrested more times than anybody else in the gang, sometimes for stupid things like public drunkenness or for something more serious like hot-wiring a nice car. It was crazy to her that he wasn’t in prison, but she thought he was being more careful now on account of her uncle being locked up. He had to be around to look out for her, so he couldn’t slip up.

Then there was Fangs. Toni considered him her best friend. He was smaller than the other guys, so they liked to tease him and call him the runt of the litter. That wasn’t too far off. Toni thought he looked like a puppy too, one that had been kicked too many times. There was a sadness in his eyes and since the Northsiders had gotten ahold of him, a tinge of fear in there too. He would take off rather than stay and fight if he had anything to do about it.

Fangs could’ve been the Serpents’ mascot if they didn’t have Hot Dog. He was like everybody’s little brother and they all looked out for him, mostly because he didn’t have anybody else to. His parents were the worst of the worst. They drank heavy and while his mother passed out, his father would beat the living crap out of him. When his mom wasn’t passed out she mostly ignored him and everybody knew she regret having a kid. Any time he did anything wrong, whether something little or big, she’d yell at him. She had that shrill kind of voice that carried all the way down the trailer park, and everybody knew when she was going to town on him. Sometimes Toni thought he might run away and maybe he would’ve if he didn’t have the Serpents. He was spending a lot more time at Sweet Pea's trailer now, crashing on the couch. His parents didn’t care if he didn’t come home. They didn’t even wonder where he was. If it hadn’t been for the gang, Fangs would have never have known what love and affection were.

Sitting down on a mangled tree stump, Toni glanced up at the guys. “You catch ‘em?”

“Nope. They got away this time, the dirty, rotten posers. I would’ve liked to split that St. Clair dude’s face. Maybe next time,” Joaquin grunted darkly.

“But you’re okay, kid?” Archie nudged.

“I’m okay.” She caught the gaze of somebody she hadn’t seen in a while. “Moose, I didn’t know you’d gotten out.”

“Got let out early on account of good behavior.” He rolled his eyes before lighting up a cigarette, taking a puff before passing it over to Fangs. Everybody sat down together to have a smoke. The tension had been so high when the Northsiders were around and everybody could use with a cool down. Toni didn’t smoke so much, because it made her cough and the Serpents would make fun of her for it. But tonight she knew she could do with some nicotine to calm her nerves. A couple hits off of the cigarette and her hand had finally stopped shaking. Nobody even said a word as her cough hung in the air.

Joaquin leaned forward, grabbing her face kind of roughly and peering at her in the dark. He lifted an eyebrow appraisingly. “Your face is my favorite shade of purple.”

“Really?” Toni hadn’t seen what she looked like yet. She was both excited and dreading looking in a mirror. She knew she probably looked rough but that would give her some cred, and as the gang’s leader pointed out the cut along her cheek, she beamed.

“Makes you look tough.” He added, knowing that’s what she wanted to hear.

“You look like a purple smurfette.” Archie flicked the ashes from the end of his cigarette. “What were you doing out there anyway?”

“I went to the movies, wanted to see that Johnny Depp flick. I didn’t think…”

“Yeah, I know. You never think. Never should have went alone, and if you did, you should’ve nicked Jug’s blade. You’re little, and a girl to boot, in case you forgot. If we hadn’t found you, you mighta ended up dead or worse.” Sweet Pea didn’t have to say what worse meant. They all knew what kind of things could happen to fifteen-year-old girls walking alone at night.

Toni just stared at her shoes, arms crossed to her chest as she waited for Sweet Pea to stop reading her the riot act. Sure he did it from a place of love, but hell it was annoying and he made her feel like a little kid. He’d say she should’ve nicked the switchblade but if he’d caught her with it he would’ve hollered at her. She could never win with him. Sometimes Toni felt like he was extra rough with her just because she was a girl. Like he was trying to tough her up and she felt plenty tough. He kept going on and on until Jughead finally interrupted.

“Leave Tiny alone. None of this is her fault.” He put out the cigarette with his foot. “It’s the Northsiders who’ve got the problem and you know if she had a blade on her, it would’ve been ten times worse. They really could have killed her and used the weapon as an excuse. Don’t you give me that look, Sweet Pea, you know I’m right. Ain’t nothing anybody can do about it, the Northsiders like to hurt us. Don’t mean we gotta stop living our lives.”

“We should fight back.” Joaquin muttered. “Nobody go out alone. Now on, we go in packs or not at all. Anybody could beat anybody four-to-one. Same thing happened to Fangs. This has to stop, and it won’t until we beat them at their own game. Next time we spy one of those Northsiders on their own, we don’t ignore it, we take them down, since that’s what they like doing to us.”

“What about the Ghoulies?” Jughead pointed out, fishing another cigarette out of the pack. “We’re getting it from both sides.”

Archie shook his head. “No. Things have calmed down with them. We let them deal their drugs. They haven’t beat anybody up in ages.”

“Arch is right.” Sweet Pea agreed. “Ghoulies aren’t the worry right now. We can beat them down if we have to, but I think maybe we could work together against a common enemy.”

“The Northsiders.” Fangs mumbled weakly.

“You think they would?” Sweet Pea asked Joaquin hopefully.

He shrugged. “Maybe. I heard Penny got jumped last week. Got a hell of a cut down her cheek and I think they even got her down and…” His dark eyes found Toni and he didn’t finish his sentence. “It’s not just us. I could talk to Malachai. Maybe he’ll have a sit down with me. Any of you want to come?”

“Me and Jug are going out tomorrow. We’re picking Betty and Veronica up for the game.”

Toni almost asked if she could come, since she didn’t have any plans. But before she could get the words out, Archie was looking at her. He didn’t have to say no, she knew what that look meant. It was a date, and they didn’t need Tiny hanging around.

Joaquin nodded. “Alright. Fangs? Sweet Pea? Tiny? You want to come?”

“Me and Fangs will come.” Toni’s voice rang out. She knew that Fangs wanted to, but he wouldn’t by himself. Besides, they’d all just talked about going out as a gang. She wasn’t about to let Joaquin meet with the leader of the Ghoulies by himself, even if he was tougher than her and Fangs combined.

“I would, but I have a shift.” Sweet Pea muttered. All he ever did was work and drink. He’d somehow grabbed a beer and was already halfway into it, much to nobody’s surprise. “Toni and Fangs can go, though, since it’s not a school night.”

They treated them like babies. Jughead was still in school. So was Archie. There was a year’s difference in their ages, but it might as well have been ten.

“You break up with Midge again?” Archie asked, gesturing to the Serpent jacket that Moose wore. He’d let her wear it when they were seeing each other.

“Yup. And we ain’t getting back together neither. She was running around with a Northsider behind my back. Can you believe that shit?”

Most of the Serpents had girls in their lives. With Jughead it was Betty and Archie had Veronica. Moose was off and on with Midge. Sweet Pea probably would’ve had a girlfriend if he wasn’t so busy all the time. The kind of girls they dated were wild, and though none of them were Serpents, they might as well be. They were loud and got into just as much trouble. Jughead’s girlfriend was fine. Toni didn’t mind her so much. Betty’s mother Alice used to be a Serpent back in the day, and everybody said she used to mess around with Jughead’s dad, which if you asked Toni, was kind of weird. She didn’t know Veronica that well, but she didn’t like her much, same as Archie. Something about them didn’t fit.

Toni didn’t spend a lot of time with other girls. Byrdie was the only other female Serpent she knew and they weren’t exactly friends. She looked at the other girls in the halls at school, the Northsiders—they were bright-eyed and pretty. Their clothes were never dirty and they didn’t get into scraps. Toni knew none of them would ever date a Serpent but that didn’t keep her from day-dreaming about it. Sweet Pea got on her sometimes for day-dreaming so much. There was one girl in particular that she thought about the most. She probably would’ve been jumped if anybody knew the wild things that ran through her mind. The girl was in her year at school, and Toni never would have met her had South Side High not been closed down. She didn’t know if she believed in fate, but if she did, Cheryl was a good example of it.

None of the Northsiders were nice to them but there wasn’t a lot of violence at school with all the teachers around. Toni mostly heard rude stuff and that was much preferred to having the snot beat out of her. She wouldn’t say that Cheryl was kind to her, but she wasn’t awful either. When she first started at the school, she’d threatened her once, but that didn’t have much of an effect on Toni. Actually, instead of feeling scared, she found she liked it. Cheryl might have been a Northsider, but she had a glint in her eye Toni recognized. She was capable of things that would make those people shudder. She admired her for that. She found she looked forward to going to school now, especially fifth period, where Cheryl sat at the desk in front of her. Toni spent the entire class just staring at her red hair, and imagining leaving hickies all along her neck.

The only person who knew about her crush was Fangs and he kept it a secret. He didn’t talk much, so despite being her best friend, she didn’t know much about what kind of girl he liked. Fangs had never dated anybody, and he didn’t seem to want to. Toni had made out with a couple South Side boys, but she wouldn’t have called it dating. Truthfully, she preferred girls, but she was scared what might happen if she flirted with one—especially a Northsider like Cheryl. She wasn’t keen on getting murdered before she even lost her virginity.

She didn’t get why Northsiders hated them so much. They never did nothing unless they were provoked by them. Serpents just wanted to be left alone. The guys all started to head out to their trailers, leaving Toni alone with Jughead. She knew he was broken up about his dad being in jail, but he was being awfully quiet about it. Usually nobody could ever get Jug to shut up. He finished his second cig and sighed, gesturing toward the trailer with his head. Toni nodded, following him inside to the room they shared. Jughead climbed up onto the top bunk and Toni had just closed her eyes when she heard his voice.

“You know he means well. Sweet Pea. I know it’s gotta feel lousy having him hassle you all the time. Don’t let it bug you too much. He’s harder on you because you’re young, and he worries about you. He loves you a hell of a lot. We all do.”

“Yeah.”

“We do.”

“I know.”

“What do you think about Betty? I mean it. What do you really think?”

Jughead sounded pretty worried. Toni wondered what this was about. She pushed her foot against the bottom of his bunk bed and shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know her that well. She seems to make you pretty happy, though, and I like that you’re happy.”

“I am.” He paused. “Can I tell you something? Don’t tell anyone. Especially not Sweet Pea or your gramps.”

“I’m not a snitch, Jug.”

“I think I’m gonna marry Betty. Not ‘til after we graduate, obviously, but I’ve been saving up money to get us our own trailer. It doesn’t look like my dad’s getting out anytime soon and I can’t live with you forever.”

Sweet Pea was living in F.P.’s trailer and he was letting Fangs crash there. Maybe it would’ve made more sense for Jughead to live in his dad’s place, but Sweet Pea wasn’t gonna take top bunk to Toni, and Fangs was safer with P. Jug was a good sport. He never complained about it. Toni slid out of the bed, figuring she should probably put on her sleep shirt before she passed out. Once she’d changed, she glanced up at the top bunk, where Jughead was flipping through a magazine. A dirty one, she’d guess.

“You’re in love with Betty, right? What’s it like?”

Toni had never been in love, but she was desperate for it. Jughead laughed, shifting so that his lanky legs hung over the side of the bed. He lay the magazine face down so Toni couldn’t see what was on the cover.

“It’s nice. What do you wanna know?” Jug paused, before adding, “You’re just a kid, so I can’t tell you about the sex stuff.”

“Ew. I don’t _want_ to know about the sex stuff. I just…I’ve never felt that way about anybody before. I never even thought about getting married. You want kids with her and everything?”

“Yeah. Think we’d be better parents than ours were.”

“Isn’t that what everyone thinks? Pretty sure Fangs’ grandfather beat his dad. That’s why he drinks. At least that’s what everybody says. And look at him, doing the same thing.”

“It’s called breaking the cycle.” Jughead argued. “Things are gonna be better for us. We really love each other. Not like my parents. She’s like my best friend.”

Toni hummed, picking at the hole in her shirt. “I thought Archie was your best friend.”

“He is, but he doesn’t suck my—” So much for not talking about sex stuff.

“Oooookay, Jug. Goodnight.”

As Jughead lay down, he lazily kicked the magazine to the floor rather than putting it away. It nearly missed her head and Toni grabbed it, her eyes nearly bugging out when she saw the naked woman on the cover. Shoving the magazine under her blanket, she got up and switched off the light. Underneath the covers she turned on her flashlight, thumbing through the pages with curiosity. Is this what guys wanted girls to look like? She was conflicted, because she didn’t know if she wanted to be them or be with them. Once she turned to the last page, she’d reached a decision. She definitely wanted to be with them.

During the next weekend, Moose suggested that Toni go with him and Fangs to the Twilight Drive-In. Rather than drive their motorcycles, they decided to sneak in and avoid the nickel it cost to get in. The film was _A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master,_ which had released a couple years ago, but the drive-in played older movies than the cinema. Toni had already seen it, and thought it was super cheesy. It still felt good to be out with her buddies, and she took a seat in a row of chairs for the handful of movie-goers that came without vehicles. There were two girls sitting in front of them and as soon as Toni got a glimpse of the back of her head, she realized who it was. Her faced was flushed and she was grateful Moose was too distracted to notice she was blushing.

“Check out these bimbettes. You think they put out?” He gestured inappropriately behind them in a jerking off motion and acted as if they couldn’t hear every single word he said. “I was hoping to find a warm place to land tonight if you know what I mean.”

“You’re revolting.” Cheryl’s voice was unmistakable, and the blush on Toni’s face deepened. She had never been more embarrassed to be seen with Moose than right now. Cheryl glared at him and didn’t seem to notice her before she turned back around and spoke to the girl beside of her that she recognized from school.

 “He’s a South Side Serpent, you know, _that gang.”_ Cheryl stated loudly. “I’m pretty sure none of them wash their hair. Can you believe he thought we’d sleep with the likes of him?”

“Cheryl! Yeah, what he said was gross, but don’t be rude. You’re better than him but that doesn’t mean you have to act like it.”

Moose lifted his eyebrows and leaned forward onto the back of Cheryl’s chair. “Didn’t say you had to sleep with me. Just close your eyes and open your mouth. It’s all you’re good for anyway.”

“What the—” Before Toni could intervene, Cheryl had taken her Coca-Cola and poured it over his head. He muttered a stream of curses and Toni stood up, stepping between him and the girls. “That’s enough, Moose.” She muttered. With a glare, he shook his head and stalked off, leaving Toni with the Northsider girls.

Cheryl looked her up and down and Toni didn’t know what to say. She wanted to apologize for Moose’s behavior or something, but her mouth went dry as she held her crush’s attention. She was pretty sure that she didn’t recognize her or remember telling her off in the bathroom that first week.

“Well, are you going to sit down?” Cheryl said after a moment, gesturing to the open seat beside of her.

Toni laughed nervously. “Is this a trick?”

“It’s not. I swear. Sit.” Like she could say no to that. “This is Josie McCoy. My best friend. And I’m Cheryl Blossom. I’m the captain of the cheerleading squad, the River Vixens.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“What do you mean?” She furrowed her brows in confusion.

“…I go to your school. We’ve met multiple times. I sit behind you in fifth period.”

Cheryl blinked, exchanging a look with Josie. The dark-skinned girl laughed, nudging her playfully. Toni watched the two of them feeling like she was being made fun of or something.

“No, it’s not you, it’s just—she’s so bad about that. Try not to take it personally.” Josie added with a polite smile. “She can be kind of conceited. I mean that lovingly, of course.”

“I’m sorry. That’s so embarrassing. What’s your name?”

“Toni.”

“Well, Toni, I didn’t know there were girl Serpents. You are a lot better looking than your friends.” Cheryl’s tone was… almost flirtatious. But it couldn’t be. Could it? “Can I try on your jacket? I’ve never admitted this but, I’ve always liked the look of leather.”

Shrugging off her jacket, she handed it over and Cheryl easily slid it on, zipping it up before posing for her friend. Josie rolled her eyes.

“It, uh, looks good on you.” Toni complimented. “You can wear it for a little bit. You look cold.”

Just then, Fangs walked up, realizing that Toni wasn’t sitting with Moose anymore but with two Northside girls. He blinked, backing up a little as fear flashed in his eyes, remembering what had happened when those guys beat him up. If these girls’ boyfriends came back, Toni and him would be dead meat.

“Hey, it’s okay. You can sit with us. Are you Toni’s friend?” Josie asked in a friendly tone. Uncertainly, he nodded and took a seat on Toni’s other side.

“This is Fangs. He’s good people.”

“Cool.”

The four of them looked up as Moose strode back over, a cup of Coca-Cola in his hand. “A peace offering.” He smirked, handing it over to Cheryl. She took the cup, glanced at it, and immediately poured it over his head just like she had the first.

“I’m not thirsty.”

“Hey, now, don’t be a little bitch.”

Fangs stood up and pressed his palm against Moose’s chest. “Just let it go, man. Walk away.”

“You’re kidding me. I oughta—” He pulled his fist back as if he was going to hit Fangs. Toni couldn’t believe this was happening. Serpents turning on Serpents? Beating on Fangs of all people. Joaquin would have his head if he laid a hand on the kid.

“I _said_ walk away.” Fangs repeated, his voice louder and more boldly than before.

Moose snarled and dropped his arm. “Fine. You’re not that hot anyway.” The comment was directed at Cheryl, who laughed, more amused than offended by his words. Every one of them knew he was wrong about that. She was the hottest girl Toni had ever seen.

“Is his name really Moose? He does kind of resemble one.”

Josie cackled. “Moose, Fangs, Jughead…do all the Serpents have names like that?”

“No,” Toni mumbled, actually kind of offended. “There’s Joaquin…and me.”

 “I remember hearing about him. He’s the leader of the Serpents, right?” Cheryl asked with interest. “My friend Kevin thinks he’s totally hot.”

Joaquin would’ve been proud to hear that. Toni grinned, nodding at the question. It seemed like these girls were just curious, like the Serpents were mythical creatures or something. It felt nice talking to them about it. They were being respectful, for the most part anyway.

“Your friend Kevin. Is he…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word. It hit too close to home for her. Her face flushed brightly.

“Yes, he’s a homosexual.” Josie added. “Got a problem with that?”

“Whoa, no. Not at all.” Toni assured her, putting her hands in the air feigning surrender. “Actually, um, I’m—I’m bi. Bisexual.” She’d never said that out loud before. Fangs shot her a look, halfway between surprise and panic. It was risky outing herself like this, but they were friends with a gay guy. Surely, they couldn’t be that bad.

They both grew quiet for a moment. “Good. Sorry I jumped on you like that, but Kevin gets a lot of crap for it. You never know who’s okay with it and who is just…disgusting.”

Cheryl’s silence was freaking Toni the hell out. But she wasn’t handing back the jacket either which said something. She just wasn’t sure what.

As Freddy Krueger burst out on screen, the four of them jumped, startled. Cheryl grabbed Toni’s hand without thinking and in the next second, dropped it like a hot potato, her cheeks as red as the lipstick she wore.

“I have to go to the bathroom.” Cheryl declared suddenly.

“Want me to come with?” Josie asked, raising her eyebrows as she looked at Cheryl and then Toni. She was getting into the movie now and didn’t really want to go, but she would for her friend. The redhead gave her a vehement no.

Toni bit down on her lip as Cheryl walked off and she caught Fangs’ gaze. He gave her a small smile and mouthed ‘Go’ before gesturing for her to follow. He had apparently been picking up on what was going on, as he was quiet and tended to observe more than participate in socialization. Silently, she stood up and moved to follow, making it to the bathroom a few seconds after Cheryl.

“What are you doing?” The redhead queried, her voice shaking as Toni moved closer, her fingers finding the snap of the button at the bottom of the jacket.

“This,” she whispered, before closing the distance and bringing their mouths together. The kiss, which was her first with a girl, lasted only a few seconds before Cheryl pulled away.

“What the hell? I’m—I’m not gay.” Cheryl declared in a defensive tone. “I mean, I don’t have a problem with it if you are, but you can’t just go around kissing people.”

“I’m sorry, I thought—”

“You thought wrong. You should go back out there. I have to pee. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Wait, Cheryl. I’m so sorry. I’m an idiot. I thought you were flirting with me, and I got all caught up in the moment. I won’t be weird. I’m sorry.”

“You’re already being weird. Let’s just pretend this never happened.” Cheryl pleaded, peeling off her leather jacket and handing it over. “I’ll be right out.” She whispered before disappearing into the bathroom stall.

Toni hesitated, standing there in the doorway before heading back out. She debated grabbing Fangs and going home because she was mortified. When she got back, he could tell she was shook up by the look on her face, but he didn’t want to say anything in front of Josie. Instead they sat in silence and watched the movie until Cheryl emerged. Josie didn’t seem to notice anything amiss but Fangs once again could tell from her face that she was nervous. She wasn’t wearing the jacket anymore and she was keeping more distance from Toni now that she was back. When he glanced back up at the film, the credits had begun to roll. Josie turned to Cheryl and asked her a question before getting Toni’s attention.

“Not to be a pain, but do you think you guys could give us a ride home? Cheryl’s brother and my boyfriend were supposed to come here with us, but they got drunk and tried to pick a fight, so they left us here.”

“We would but we didn’t drive either.” Toni shrugged.

Fangs frowned, nudging Toni. “We could walk you to Joaquin’s. He’d give you a ride.”

“For real? You’d be a lifesaver. I am not wearing the right shoes to walk all the way home and if we tried to hitchhike, we’d probably get murdered.” Cheryl bemoaned. “That movie freaked me out. I don’t want to walk alone.”

“Sure. We’ll walk you.” Toni gave in with a sigh. “I think they’re showing another movie after this though. Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” She added in an effort to get out of it one last time. It was just awkward being around Cheryl after being rejected like that.

“I’m tired.” Josie groaned. “Please, can we go?”

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “If you don’t want to walk with us, just say so.”

“I didn’t say that!” Toni immediately stood up. “Let’s just go already.” Her voice dropped low and she mumbled. “Fucking girls, man…”

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

The four of them headed out together, walking down the road. Josie and Fangs were starting to chat, leaving Toni standing awkwardly next to Cheryl. She wasn’t saying anything, just looking ahead as they walked and wishing time would move faster.

“Can I ask you something?” Cheryl broke through the silence.

Toni shrugged noncommittally. “I guess.”

“How did you know you liked girls?” Okay, so that wasn’t what she had expected.

“Why do you want to know?” It came out a bit more defensively than she meant it to.

“It was just a question. You don’t have to answer it. I was just curious.”

“No, I’ll answer.” Toni agreed. She thought about it for a moment before she answered.  “I knew the same way I knew I liked guys. I had a crush on a girl when I was a kid. Plus there was that whole Janet Jackson thing.”

“Janet Jackson thing?” Cheryl grinned, curious what she meant by that.

“Don’t ask.”

“Do your parents know?”

“My parents are dead. Have been for a while now.”

Sympathy flashed over Cheryl’s features. “Oh. I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine. What are your parents like?”

“You don’t want to know.” Cheryl paused. “Awful. The worst.”

“His too.” Toni gestured to Fangs and swallowed. “I’m sorry. That sucks. Can I ask you something?”

“You don’t have to ask permission. Just ask.”

“I don’t want to offend you—but—earlier you were saying stuff about me being more attractive than the guys and then you wanted to wear my jacket, which girls only do when they’re going steady with a guy. I thought maybe you liked me, and then you grabbed my hand and you didn’t freak out when I told you I was bi. That really made me think you liked me. So I followed you to the bathroom, thinking it was a signal and you wanted me to kiss you. Am I crazy? Was I just seeing what I wanted to see?”

There were a few seconds of silence before Cheryl shook her head. “You’re not crazy. I did want you to kiss me, until you did. It’s not your fault. I don’t know why I did all that. I guess I liked the attention.”

“And you don’t remember me from school?”

“I might have lied about that. I may have noticed you.”

“Why pretend you don’t know me? It was a bitchy thing to do.” Yeah, Toni, go ahead and call the girl you like a bitch. That’ll get you far.

Cheryl didn’t seem offended. “I know. I’m sorry. The truth is, I really like you.” She stopped walking and chewed on the inside of her cheek before holding her hand out. Toni stared at it for a second and then slid her fingers easily into hers. They started walking again, but didn’t get far before they were interrupted.

“Uh, guys?” Fangs’ voice broke through, surprisingly louder than it was in most situations. Toni knew that Josie and Fangs were standing there but she hadn’t thought about them listening in on their conversation. She trusted Fangs, but she didn’t know Josie. Hopefully she’d keep all of this a secret for Cheryl’s sake. “Cheryl, isn’t that…”

“My brother,” she finished sagely.

Josie groaned, “And unfortunately, that guy with him is my boyfriend.”

“Do they look pissed to you?”

“They’re drunk.” Cheryl admitted, which was why they hadn’t wanted them around to start with. This wasn’t gonna go good. Even Toni knew that.

“Josie? Cheryl? What the hell? Who are these guys?”

“That one’s a chick. And my sister is holding her hand. Cheryl, what are you doing?”

“Jay, it’s not what it looks like.”

That hurt. Almost as much as it would when these guys beat the hell out of them.

“We were just going to walk them to our friend’s house. Give them a ride home. That’s all.” Toni assured them, realizing that Fangs wasn’t saying a word.

“You don’t have any business hanging out with girls from the North Side, vermin.” The dark-haired one jeered.

“We’re not vermin, we’re serpents. Mess with us. Go ahead.” Toni pulled out her very own switchblade, which Jughead had given her a few days ago after she’d sold the Northsiders’ blade. He insisted she needed to have one and learn how to use it. He taught her but that didn’t mean she was confident about defending herself with it.

“Stop. We’ll go with you. Just leave them alone.” Josie pleaded, not wanting a full-on rumble to break out. Toni didn’t particularly want one either. She had a blade in her hand, but she didn’t know that she was fully prepared to use it. She’d never stabbed anybody before.

The redhead, who she presumed to be Cheryl’s brother, backed down first. “Yeah, alright. Come on, Cheryl.” He grabbed her arm forcefully, and she let him do it. Toni watched the whole exchange with disdain, but she didn’t do anything. Just watched the guys walk off with them. Once they were out of sight, Fangs let out a breath he’d been holding.

“I thought we were gonna have to fight ‘em.” His voice shook. He’d been scared shitless and he knew if Josie hadn’t stopped them, things would’ve turned out more violently. There definitely would’ve been blood.

“I would have, if it came to that.” Toni argued, though she’s not sure she would.

“Where’d you get that, anyway?”

“Jug gave it to me. Taught me how to use it, too.” Closing the switchblade, she shoved it back into her pocket. “Did you hear my conversation with Cheryl?”

“Some of it. Josie was talking to me about her band. The Pussycats.”

“That’s where I recognize her from. Huh. Well, I didn’t get to tell you, I kissed Cheryl at the drive-in. In the bathroom. It didn’t go well.”

Fangs grinned, “I bet the next time will.”

“You think there will be a next time?”

“She likes you. It’s obvious. Just be patient with her. A girl like that, she’s worth it.”

“Yeah, I guess. I’m pretty sure her brother wouldn’t be okay with that.” Toni pointed out, based on his behavior tonight. He didn’t seem too keen on his sister hanging with a Serpent, and even less keen on her holding hands with a girl. It made her worry about what would happen to Cheryl tonight. If Jason would tell his parents what he saw.

“Who cares? You and me both know that real family accepts you for who you are.”

“Geez, how did you get so wise all the sudden?”

“I am about to turn sixteen, you know. Next week.” Fangs reminded her with pride. “You get me a present yet?”

They finally made it to the trailer park and before Toni could answer his question, Sweet Pea came at her, yelling like a maniac. Apparently Moose had tattled on her, telling him that she and Fangs had been hanging out with North Side girls and had even walked them home. That set Sweet Pea off, of course, and he was already pissed at her about walking late at night before.

“You treat me like a baby. In case you forgot, you’re not my dad.”

“Do you know all the shit that I sacrifice for you, Tiny? I dropped outta school so I could take care of you. Maybe I’m not your dad, but I’m the closest you got.”

“I never asked you to do that and you know it! I can take care of myself.”

“The hell you can.”

“Fuck you.”

She’d never sworn at him before, and she couldn’t have predicted how he’d react. Much to her surprise, he slapped her across the face. It stung, her cheek still sore from when she’d been jumped last week. Sweet Pea had never laid a hand on her like that and before he could apologize for what he’d done, she ran off, and boy, was she fast.

Toni ran into Fangs, who had apparently gone after her after witnessing what had happened. He suggested they head to the park to give both Toni and Sweet Pea time to cool off. They could both apologize later.

The park was on what was supposed to be neutral territory. It was nestled smack dab in the middle between the North and South sides and the Serpents went there all the time. That’s why Toni didn’t think anything about it. They were walking toward the swing set when they were spotted by the guys from earlier, Cheryl’s brother and the other one. There were a couple others with them too and Toni knew they were outnumbered. Before she realized what was happening, her head was being held underwater, forced into the fountain by one of the Northsiders. She tried to fight back, but he was stronger, and he held her down. She really thought she was gonna die.

When she woke up, she was flat on her back, lying in the grass next to Fangs. The rest of the guys were gone, she thought. At least until she realized there was somebody by Fangs. Somebody with red hair who wasn’t breathing.

“No…” she sat up, coughing. “No, no. That’s…”

“Jason Blossom.” Fangs finished, gesturing to the bloody switchblade still laying on the ground. “I didn’t have a choice, Tones. He was drowning you. I stuck it in him a couple times and he just started bleeding. I didn’t expect that much blood. His friends got spooked and ran off. They’re gonna get the cops. I know it. We gotta get out of here before we get arrested.”

“Then I’ll _really_ be dead.” Toni groaned. “What about the blade?”

“Leave it.”      

“But it’s evidence, and it’s mine. What if they think I…”

“You mean what if Cheryl thinks you did it, right?”

“She’s going to hate me now.”

Fangs sounded exasperated. “We got bigger problems Tiny. Come on. Leave it and him and let’s GO.”

Toni agreed, getting to her feet and helping Fangs up to his. None of this felt real. But that dead dude was, and the puddle of blood there was too. There was so much blood. It made her feel sick. She and Fangs ran as fast as they could, showing up at Joaquin’s. He’d know what to do. He suggested they go into hiding and threw them in the back of his car, driving them to Greendale. There was a crappy old church out there that he knew was abandoned. They could hunker down for a few days and figure out what to do next. Toni knew that nobody was just going to let this go. The guy Fangs killed was pretty much Riverdale’s golden boy and they’d be looking to fry his killer. She couldn’t abandon Fangs neither, so there they were, laying in pews with wool blankets, a pistol lying at her feet.

“What do you think’s gonna happen to me?” Fangs whispered. “When they get me. Do they got the death penalty here?”

“They ain’t gonna get ya, alright? We need to make a stop at that convenience store on the corner. Get something to eat. Joaquin gave us some money, so no stealing anything. Last thing we need is more attention.”

“I don’t think we should.”

“It hasn’t been long. Sure nobody even knows anything yet. Better now than later. Aren’t you hungry?”

“My stomach hurts. I—I killed somebody, Tones. I don’t exactly have an appetite.”

“Well you gotta eat. So, come on. I am not going out there by myself.” Toni slid the gun into the back of her pants and pulled her shirt over it.

Begrudgingly, Fangs got to his feet and they walked together to the convenience store under the cover of night. Toni made a beeline for the snacks and grabbed some of them while Fangs went to the bathroom.

“Grab us Cokes, would you?” She asked when he came back out. He nodded, heading toward the cooler to get them drinks. On his way over there he saw a box of hair color and he grabbed it, figuring it would be a decent disguise if his hair didn’t fall out from the peroxide.

They paid for their items up front and Toni gave Fangs a weird look for the hair dye but didn’t say anything. The two of them walked back over to the church and ducked inside. Toni already had her coke cracked open and had taken a sip when they got back to the area where they were staying.

“You got Doritos, right?” Fangs asked, pawing through the bag.

“They’re at the bottom.” She burped. “What’s with the hair dye, dude? Are you wanting to look like a surfer or something?”

“No, I thought if my hair was a different color nobody would realize it was me.”

“You have _the same face_.”

“Just trust me.”

“You know I do, but that shit’s stupid.”

After they finished their buffet of junk food, Toni helped Fangs bleach his hair. She didn’t even laugh at him when she saw how it turned out. She really was a good friend, because he looked weird. They talked for a long time about what they wanted for the future. Not that it mattered that much because they were both sure it was only a matter of time before they got caught. Fangs didn’t know if he’d be able to survive prison if it came to it. Toni assured him that he was stronger than he thought. She offered to take the fall, but he disagreed, saying that didn’t make any sense with what had actually happened. They theorized about whether they could claim self-defense, since technically the Northsiders had attacked them and Jason would have killed Toni. It was hard to imagine anybody would listen to what a Serpent had to say.

It was the second day when the batteries in Toni’s Walkman died. But Prince’s voice wasn’t going to be silenced. She and Fangs coordinated a whole routine to Purple Rain that would’ve blown everybody out of the water…or laughed them off the face of the planet. She wasn’t sure which. But it was fun, and for a moment she forgot what had got them there. A couple more days and Joaquin came by to check up on them. He told them that Jason’s death had ignited a full-on war between the North and Southsiders and that the Ghoulies were going to fight with them tomorrow night.

“One more thing. That dead kid’s sister, she came to us. Shocked the hell out of everyone. She said those guys were planning to kill some Serpents that night when you showed up. Jason went after you in particular, Tiny, because of seeing you hold hands with his sister. Didn’t want that, you know. But she’s not mad at you guys. I know she’s probably sad that her brother’s dead, but she knows it isn’t your fault. Guess that black girl’s boyfriend fessed up and said Jason was holding you under the water. Cheryl’s been working with us. Her North Side friends have no idea, but she’s been informing us of everything. We’re going to get the jump on them tomorrow night if you want to come.”

“Yeah. I want to go.” Fangs agreed, shocking the hell out of Toni.

“Really?”

“Not to the fight, I want to go to the police. Turn myself in. If that guy’s saying the truth about what happened maybe I could get off on self-defense, like we talked about.”

“I don’t know, Fangs. It sounds risky.” Toni murmured uncertainly, worried about what could happen to him.

Joaquin interrupted, “I think he’s right. It’s either that or keep running. Hey, Fangs, I meant to ask, what in the hell did you do to your hair?”

After taking the piss for a few minutes, the three of them jumped into Joaquin’s car and headed to the station to gas up. As they drove past the church on the way back to Riverdale, Toni noticed smoke coming from the church. She had a quick flash of when Joaquin had threw his cigarette on the floor. They could’ve drove right past, but there were some kids out there. A couple of them screaming near the back. Their friends were trapped inside.

Without even thinking, Fangs took off, jumping out of the car and running into the church, paying no mind to the flames which were several feet high. With only a second’s hesitation, Toni followed him, helping Fangs find the kids and help them out, carrying them one by one to the window to escape. Joaquin had joined them and they got those children out in record time. Toni had one leg out of the window when the whole roof caved in. She could remember the feeling of panic, of not knowing what would happen to Fangs and Joaquin, who had insisted on her going out first. When she woke up, she was in a hospital bed, and Jughead and Sweet Pea were sitting vigil next to it.

“Hey, Tiny.” Sweet Pea greeted with the gentlest damn smile she’d ever seen.

“You look like shit,” Jughead teased. Sweet Pea punched him in the arm hard. “I meant, we’re glad you’re okay. You inhaled some smoke and you’ve got some burns but you’re going to be fine, Tones. All the kids are okay, too.”

“What about Fangs and Joaquin?”

Toni heard the sound of the curtain being pulled by the patient in the bed next to her. It was Joaquin, who gave her a little wave. “Joaquin’s fine.” He offered.

“Fangs…he’s in the intensive care unit. They won’t tell us much. But they’re fixing to let you and Joaquin out tomorrow. We can come visit Fangs later, if his parents let us. Dumbass Jughead should’ve told them we were his brothers.” Sweet Pea grunted. “I wanted you to know that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for yelling at you and I’m even sorrier for hitting you. I just get so mad sometimes. I know it’s no excuse. You’ve really grown up, and I guess I didn’t want to see it. You and the guys saved those kids’ lives. I am so damn proud of you, even if you are an idiot for running into a burning building. I hope you know you’re going back to school next week.”

“School? Really?” That was the last thing she was worried about when she wasn’t sure if her best friend was even going to make it through the night.

“Yeah, really. Now get some rest. We’re going to hit up the cafeteria.” Jughead leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of Toni’s head. They got up and left, and it didn’t take long before Toni fell asleep. She slept fitfully, with vivid nightmares she’d blame on the drugs they gave her, and when she woke again there was sun streaming through the curtains.

She about jumped out of her skin when she saw Jughead sitting there, only inches away.

“Oh good, you’re awake. You’ll never guess what they wrote about you and Fangs in the paper.” Jughead showed her the front page. “Betty’s mom wrote an article about you two. Calling you heroes, and advocating for Fangs to be let off on self-defense charges. We’re gonna take you out to lunch when we break you out to celebrate.” He grinned.

While that was good news, Toni was more interested in how Fangs was doing. “Did his parents come by to see him?” She asked curiously, and though she wasn’t too keen on his parents and the way they treated him, she doubted they would ignore him being hospitalized.

“Yeah, actually. Joaquin talked to his dad. Talked some sense into him. They said they took Fangs off the respirator and he was breathing on his own. If he does well tonight, they could be moving him out of intensive care.”

“That’s good news.”

“Now do you feel like celebrating with a milkshake from Pop’s?”

“I guess that’d be okay.”

The nurse came by to check Toni’s vitals and she was doing well according to her. She had to redress the burns on her legs, but she was confident that she would heal well. After having Sweet Pea sign the release papers, Toni was wheeled out to the car where Joaquin was waiting. They piled in and took a drive out to Pop’s, where they found their favorite booth and sat down to eat. Toni was starving, since she’d had nothing but snack food for days. She ordered a burger and fries with a chocolate shake. The boys were making fun of each other when someone walked up to the table. Toni recognized him immediately. It was Josie’s boyfriend. The one who had been there that night.

“Hey, uh, I’m Chuck. Sorry to bug you but I just wanted to tell you guys I’m done. I am so tired of this stupid war. I don’t care that you’re from the South side and I’m supposed to hate you. I don’t, and I don’t think you hate us either. It’s stupid. I know there’s supposed to be a big thing tonight between them and you guys, but I’m not coming. Not all of them are bad,” he turned to Toni and addressed her directly. “If you want to hold Cheryl’s hand, that’s alright with me. And I’ll fight for your right to do it, if I have to. I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry. Things got out of hand and none of that should have ever gone down. I was wrong, and I swear I’m just going to mind my own business from now on.”

“You’re serious.” Jughead remarked incredulously.

“Yeah, I am. I was a drunk idiot. I’m not drinking anymore. Uh, hey, how’s your friend?” Chuck asked, noticing that Fangs wasn’t with them.

Toni shrugged. “He’s still in the hospital. I just got out, but we’re going to head back to see him. We’ll tell him you asked about him.”

“Tell him that I’m sorry.”

“I will.”

“Alright. One more thing.” Chuck laughed nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck. “There’s somebody outside who wants to talk to you.”

“Me?” Toni asked to clarify, and Chuck indicated that yes, he was talking to her. With uncertainty, Toni slid out of the booth and outside, where she found Cheryl Blossom standing there. Before she could ask her what she was doing there, Cheryl was hugging her.

“Cheryl? What are you—” She was cut off with a kiss, a longer, more passionate one than that awkward night in the bathroom.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. I thought he was going to kill you, Toni. Chuck said he tried to. He was holding your head under for long enough, if your friend hadn’t…” She trailed off, looking away and shuddering.

“I thought you were going to hate me. I know he was your brother, and you loved him. It’s our fault that he’s gone.”

“No, it’s not. It’s his fault. It’s my parents’ fault, for indoctrinating him to be so hateful. It isn’t your fault, and it isn’t Fangs’ either.”

All of this came as a surprise. She didn’t know what to say. “If you say so,” was what Toni finally went with.

“I know now isn’t a good time, but I was wondering, would you want to go out with me sometime?” Cheryl’s voice was just a smidge higher and she looked incredibly nervous. With as understanding as she was being and how much she already liked her, could Toni really say no?

Toni hesitated. “What about your parents?”

“I’m staying with the McCoy’s right now. Josie’s. Just until things die down. If they do. You don’t have to worry about them, though. I don’t care what they think.”

“Okay. Yeah. After everything, the funeral and stuff. If you still want to, then yeah. I’ll go out with you.”

“Aces.”

Toni glanced at the door to Pop’s and then back to Cheryl. Before she lost her nerve, she launched forward and stole another kiss, feeling the other girl grin against her lips. “See ya.” She mumbled before disappearing back inside.

Maybe things weren’t so bad after all.

The South Side/North Side brawl still went down, but there weren’t any causalities. Everybody got their punches in and it was a good outlet for all the tension that had built up over the years. A handful of guys from both sides got arrested that night.

A few days later, and Fangs was released from the hospital. His parents insisted on his coming back home and even said that Joaquin could pop in any time to keep an eye on him. He was formally arrested for killing Jason, but then the Serpents came together to pay for his bail. When the trial came around, Toni testified on his behalf. So did Chuck and the others. Nobody lied about what went down, and the case was closed. Fangs got his sentence commuted to some community service for involuntary manslaughter. What surprised Toni most of all was when he told her about his time in jail. He’d met someone, he said. The sheriff’s son, of all people. He’d never told Toni he thought he liked guys, but she couldn’t be mad about it. Mostly she was happy that he had somebody.

Jason Blossom was laid to rest on a rainy April morning. After his funeral, things in Riverdale really began to settle down. While the North and Southsiders would probably never be friends, they could at least put up with each other. There were even a few cross overs, some North Siders, like Cheryl and her friends, who hung out with the Serpents, and Fangs, who had started dating Kevin. It was the new normal.

As Toni lay in bed next to Cheryl at the McCoy house, the two of them were watching television together. Toni couldn’t imagine having money to afford a TV, let alone cable, but they did. When a Janet Jackson video came on, she could feel Cheryl’s eyes on her.

“Yeah. I get it now.” The redhead admitted with a grin.

If you’d have told Toni just a month ago that she’d be dating Cheryl, the IT girl from the North Side, she would’ve laughed in your face. But now, it didn’t feel that weird. She felt…what was the word? She felt content.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote like crazy for two days and came up with this one shot. I might revisit this AU later because it's a lot of fun, and if you haven't read the book or seen the movie the Outsiders I recommend you do. There are a lot of similar elements to Riverdale. 
> 
> I felt a little weird about setting it in the same time period as the book, because of segregation and racism, so this takes place in the early 90s for that reason. I had to switch from James Dean to Johnny Depp. (Not a fan of Depp, but his look in the film is similar to that of the Serpents, which is why I used him.) 
> 
> Look out for more one-shots as the inspiration strikes. Thanks for reading!


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